Costa Mesa : Injured Bicyclist Faces Drunk Riding Charge
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A bicyclist who police say was drunk when he collided with a car Saturday was arrested under a new state law regarding bicycle riding.
William Dean Streitz, 28, of Costa Mesa was arrested on suspicion of riding a bicycle under the influence of alcohol, Sgt. George Yezbick said. Streitz was in serious condition Saturday night in the intensive care unit of Fountain Valley Regional Hospital.
Police said Streitz was heading west on Victoria Street at 2:27 a.m. when he ran a red light at Placentia Avenue and collided with a southbound car. The driver was not injured.
Police arrested Streitz at the hospital after hospital tests revealed that he had a .24 blood alcohol level--more than twice the legal limit, Yezbick said. Under a state law which became effective Jan. 1, police now can arrest bicyclists on suspicion of riding under the influence, he said.
Yezbick did not know whether the bicycle had lights.
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